Cord-tension device.



No. 642,698. Patented Feb. 6, I900.

B, F. IVESDN. 008D TENSION DEVICE.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.)

N (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. IVESON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CORD-TENSION DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,698, dated February6, 1900.

Application filed November 19,1898- Serial No. 696,928. (No model.) I

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. IvEsoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cord-TensionDevices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to cord-tension devices which are used in a greatmany machines wherein cord or twine is utilized, and particularly ingrain-binders, to prevent the slack from interfering with the perfectaction of the cord-tying devices.

The object of my invention is to keep the cord always taut as it is fedto thecord-utilizing mechanism of the machine by means that do notmaterially increase the tension when lumps or knots or other impedimentson the cord pass through the same. This I accomplish by the meanshereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my invention. Fig. 2is a longitudinal central section through the same. Fig. 3 is a sideview of a modified form of my tension device.

In the drawings, A represents a lower jaw of my improved tension device,the root of which may be pivotally or immovably secured to a suitablebracket, as will hereinafter be more fully described. This jaw extendsin a straight direction for about onehalf its length, then inclinesdownward fora short distance, as at a, and then has its free end portion1), which is slightly thicker and wider than the remainder of itslength, extend from the lower end of the inclined portion Ctlll a slightupwardly-inclined plane to its ex tremity. The end portion 1) of thisjawA is provided with a vertical opening 0 therethrough, the upper edgesof which are countersunk in such manner that the side nearest theinclined portion of the jaw is a continuation of the upper inclinedsurface thereof. The side of this opening next the adjacent end of thejaw has alug d arising therefrom, and through this is an eye which formsan arch over the gutter e, which extends in a longitudinal directionfrom the lower edge of the opening 0 to and through the truncated noseor extremity of the jaw. At about the upper end of the inclined portiona the jaw is provided with a vertical lug f, in the upper endof which isan eye f.

B represents the upper jaw, which has a pivotal pin 0 extending from itsrear downwardly-bent end,that enters a suitable socket D made thereforin the rear straight portion of the lower jaw A. This jaw B extendsstraight forward from its rear bent end to a point past the lug f, whichlatter projects up through a suitable longitudinally-elongated opening Etherein, and then its forward portion F extends downward in an inclineddirection sufficient for its lower extremity,which is provided with aneye G, to project through opening 0 of the lower jaw. From the point ofpivotal contact therewith the upper jaw arches over the lower jaw untilat or near the point where it passes through opening 0, against the rearedge of which it is made to normally bear by means of a coil-orsinglehelix spring 77., through the medium of a bolt H. This bolt H isthrust down through one of I two suitable longitudinally-arrangedboltholes 7 7 in the upper jaw, near its rear downwardly-bent end, andthrough one of the two correspondingly=alined bolt-openings 7c in thelower jaw until its head bears against the said upper jaw, whereupon itslower screwthreaded end will extend through said spring h, and bytightening the retaining-nut m thereon the tension of the spring can beregulated. The pressure of the upper jaw upon the lower jaw can beincreased, if desired, by inserting it through the bolt-openings 7 and7c, nearer the free ends of the jaws, and, if desired, the upper end ofthe spring can be seated and anchored in the concentric grooves in theunder surface of the lower jaw sur rounding said bolt-holes.

In operation I take the cord and pass it for ward through the eye f oflug f, then down through the forward part of the elongated opening inthe upper jaw, up through which lug f projects, and then downbetween theinclined portion of the two jaws past the point where said jaws normallytouch and through the eye in the free end of the upper jaw. From thiseye G the cord is extended through gutter e to the devices for utilizingthe same. These utilizing devices draw the cord out from between thejaws of my tension devices, which are so regulated that their resistancewill always insure the cord being taut. Should the cord have knots in itor bunches of fiber or any other impediment, the tension is notmaterially increased; but when the knot reaches the place where itpasses the contactpoint of the two jaws the resistance there met withcauses the cord between the end of the upper jaw and the utilizingdevices to tighten and slightly raise the end of the said upper jaw suliiciently to permit the knot or other obstruction to pass saidcontact-point without obstruction.

If desired, I can cast the supporting bracket or plate for my tensiondevices in one piece with the jaw A, substantially as shown in Fig.

I prefer, however, to provide an independent bracket therefor, to whichthe lower jaw can be removably hinged or made to project stationarytherefrom. To effect this latter result, I provide the root of jaw Awith a suitable opening a, and I provide a bracket N consisting,preferably, of an L-shaped supportingplate having an arm 0 projectingtherefrom. The transverse contours of this arm show it to be the same asopening a, through which it is adapted to pass, and it extends from itssupporting-plate at about an angle of forty-five degrees fora shortdistance, during the extent of which it describes a double reversedcurve, so as to produce a shoulderx, and then it terminates in astraight portion R, parallel with the branch of the plate from which itprojects, and has an eye 1' in its end. Now when it is desired to givethe tension devices a hinged or pivotal support the bracket is placed asshown in Fig. 1. \Vhen it is desired to hold said device stationary, thebracket is reversed, as shown.

In Fig. 3 I show a modified construction of I myinvention. In thismodification the jaws are in a vertical position, and what is theequivalent of the lower jaw of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 becomesthe rear jaw 2 and what is the equivalent of the upper jaw becomes thefront jaw 3. The rear jaw is straight throughout its entire length, isrigidly attached to a homogeneous base-plate, and is provided with aforwardly-projecting lug 4 about its center of length, that extendsthrough the elongated opening5 in the front jaw 3. This front jaw isattached to the rear jaw in the same manner that jawB is attached to jawA of the tension device shown in the first two figures of the drawings,and the spring and bolt 8 and 9 are substantially the same as thereinemployed; but the front jaw is straight from its rear bent end for theremainder of its length, and its free end extends slightly beyond thefree end of the rear jaw and has an eye 10 therein. The operation ofthis modified tension device is the same as that hereinbefore firstdescribed, except that the draft on the cord can be in such direction asto cause the slight separation of the jaws to permit the passage ofobstructions on the cord.

I am aware that it is not new to employ two jaws in the construction ofa cord-tension device. I'Ieretofore, however, the cord was passedbetween jaws, the pressure of which one against the other was the sameat all times. The only way in which the draft on the cord could be easedwas by changing the position of the entire tension device with referenceto the path of the cord. The regulation of the draft of the cord in myinvention is accomplished by the limited separation of the jaws.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a cord-tension device twolongitudinally-arranged jaws, one of which is pivotall y connected tothe other, has an elongated opening near its center of length, and hasan eye in its free end beyond the point where it normally bears againstthe other jaw, which lat I ter is provided with a lug that projectsthrough said elongated opening which has an eye in the end thereof.

2. In a cord-tension device a jaw having an opening through its freeend, and provided with a lug projecting therefrom at about its center oflength that has an eye in its end, in combination with a companion jawhaving a bent end that is pivoted to the other jaw, has an elongatedopening therein through which said lug extends, and has its end extendthrough the opening in the end of the other jaw and provided with an eyebeyond the adjacent point of contact of said jaws, as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a cord-tension device a jawAhaving an opening through its freeend, and provided with a lug projecting at right angles therefrom atabout its center of length that has an eye in its end, and also providedwith boltholes back of said lug, in combination with a jaw B having itsrear end. bent toward and pivotally connected to the rear portion of jawA; having an elongated opening therein through which said lug projects;having its free end extend through the opening in the free end of jaw Aand provided with an eye therein, and also provided with bolt-holesalining with the bolt-holes in jaw A, a belt, a coil-spring, and asuitable nut.

4. In a cord-tension device two longitudinally-arranged jaws one ofwhich has an opening in its rear end, and the other of which is suitablypivoted thereto near said opening, in combination with a bracketconsisting of a suitable supporting-plate and an arm projectingtherefrom first in a direction at about forty-five degrees during theextent of which IIO it describes a double reversed curve so as toprovide a shoulder 00, and then straight in a direction parallel to itssupport.

5. In a cord-tension device a jaw A, the rear half of which is straight,having a suitable socket D and bolt-holes k therethrough; havin g thecentral portion thereof inclined downward, and the free end portion bextending in a slight upwardlyinclined plane from the lower end of saidinclined central portion and having the opening a therein; said jawhaving a lug f projecting vertically therefrom, which has an eye f inits upper end and hayin g a gutter connecting the edge of said opening 0and its extremity, in combination with a jaw 13 having its rear enddownturned and provided with a pivotal pin which articulates in saidsocket, and being so bent that it arches over said jaw A from itspivotal point to the edge of the opening in the free and end portion ofsaid jaw A through which its free end eX- tends which latter is providedwith-a suitable eye beyond the adjacent point of contact; said jaw Bbeing provided with bolt-holes 7 alining with those, it, in the otherjaw, and provided with a longitudinally-elongated opening E up throughwhich said lug f projects, a bolt H a coil-sprin g h through which saidbolt extends, and a retaining-nut m, as and for the purpose set forth.

BENJAMIN F. IVESON. Witnesses: WILLIAM Harris,

I FRANK D. THOMASON.

